Contingency Plan
by Kennie Barton
Summary: Weird things have been happening in Coldwater, Maine. Nephilim openly roam the streets, but there is a distinct lack of Downworlders present. That sets Jace a little on edge. But not as much as the demon inhabiting the area. Clary just wants to finish the Coldwater mess, Nora just wants her life back. They weren't looking for fight, that was just a contingency plan after all.
1. Chapter 1

The touch of cool metal was reassuring in her hands. It was strange how in just a few short months the weight of a weapon in hand had become a comfort. It was strange, but she welcomed it. If she was weaponless, she would be dead…several months ago.

"This doesn't look very good," she commented under her breath, looking across the street as her grip tightened around the hilt of the Seraph blade belted at her side.

"We've faced worse," her companion gave a half smile at the comment.

"That doesn't make this situation any better," Clary took a step back so her free arm brushed against Jace's. He smiled, his golden eyes flashing with amusement.

"We fought your deranged brother, hordes of demons, and beat Valentine. I seriously doubt this guy is going to be half as bad as dragging Simon through any of that."

Clary fought not to smile at his jibe at Simon. Despite his bold talk, Jace did actually care about Simon. Not only that, but Simon had been helpful, even instrumental in them surviving all those battles since Clary's sixteenth birthday.

"I don't know Jace, he seems different," she wrinkled her nose watching after the boy they were tailing. For the most part he looked normal, but Clary and Jace's Sensors had been going haywire in this little town; and they had narrowed the issue down to a normal looking teenager.

Or his girlfriend.

"He seems trained," Jace responded. Leave it to him to notice if someone was trained just by watching him shop with his girlfriend. And it had been grocery shopping, which Clary could never get Jace to help with.

"You can tell that from way back here?" Clary asked sarcastically. Of course he could tell; Jace had trained his entire life to find demons and kill them.

"It's the way he walks, full of confidence. I'm willing to bet Simon's life that he's cocky too."

"Really?" Clary's brow arched as she looked up at Jace. "Simon's life?"

"I have a short list of important things to bet," Jace shrugged, his hand curling around Clary's so their fingers twined together. "Or rather, important things I'm willing to bet," Jace corrected with a crooked smile.

"Well, I'm not willing to bet Simon's life on your judgment of this guy," Clary smiled at her boyfriend and pulled her hand free of his. "And if we don't make some kind of move, we'll have to spend the night stalking the streets of this backwards little town," she gave a sour look at the "mom and pop" shops lining the main street.

Coldwater lacked all the things Clary associated with city life. There was a distinct lack of chain restaurants and shops, and it was too quiet. But it was nothing like the country side in Idris, where Jace and Clary had spent the past several weeks cleaning the Herondale estate. Coldwater was something between Manhattan and Idris, and Clary was not fond of it or the idea of spending a night there.

"Or you could just draw us a Portal to the Institute, and we can come back in the morning," Jace grinned at her, clearing meaning he wanted more than just to sleep in his bed at the Institute once they got there.

"And let the trail get cold?" Clary asked in mock horror. "What would Maryse say?"

"Nothing if we don't tell her," Jace answered leaning down toward Clary. "We could be in and out before she even knew we were home."

"Jace," Clary smiled, and turned away from Jace so that his well aimed kiss landed on her cheek. "We're supposed to be working."

"Fine," Jace wrapped his arm around her protectively and lovingly. "But then we go Portal to the Herondale estate in Idris."

"That's not the Institute," she reminded him. Though she did prefer the estate during the warmer months; "and it's a long way from home, Jace."

"But you didn't say no," he kissed her again, lightly on the neck.

"Let's do this," Clary smiled in response, pulling away from Jace. Her hand wrapped around her stele, drawing it from her pocket. "And then we can talk about Idris."

Jace's smile grew as he drew his own stele from his pocket and followed after her.

* * *

"I know you don't eat, but you could at least be a little more helpful," Nora handed him the basket she had been filling with the seemingly fresh produce displayed in front of the store.

"I already said I'd get the groceries, you don't have to worry about it," Patch answered, watching Nora as she sorted through another fruit display. "What are you even looking for?"

"I'm just looking," she answered, smiling at him as she added more fruit to the basket in Patch's hands. "Unless, you wanted something in particular?"

"Is 'you" an acceptable answer?" Patch asked following Nora into the store.

"You already have me," she wrapped her hand through his arm and guided him through the store, toward the small selection of freezers.

"Angel," Patch looked over his shoulder, toward the door that was propped open to let in the warm spring air. "I think we're being followed."

"Is it some of Hank's men again?" Nora was smart enough not to turn and look as well.

Since Nora had disbanded the Nephilim Army, there had been several attempts on her life again. There were fewer Fallen Angels around, but there were still several nephil holding a grudge. Since Nora had disbanded the army, and was dating a fallen angel, she was their favorite target.

"I don't think so," he answered slowly, watching the door. The pair following them had started toward the store the same time Nora had left the street. If the two of them were following Patch and Nora, they would have come into the store too. "I didn't recognize them."

"Are you going to fight them?" Nora asked quietly.

"If I have to," Patch answered, glad that she had asked that way. Nora could fight and take care of herself, but Patch always preferred to do the fighting. He would never allow anything to happen to her, and for the most part Nora had accepted that. "It looks like I might have been over reacting," no one had entered the store after them.

"Good, we'll buy this stuff and head to Delphic," Nora pulled away from Patch, taking the half-filled basket from him.

"I thought you'd never ask," Patch smiled, trailing after her toward the register by the door.

Patch stood in the doorway of the store while Nora paid for the produce she had picked up in front of the store. He watched down the street, looking for the odd pair that had showed up that morning and started tailing him. He knew they were tailing him, they had showed up everywhere Nora went that morning, watching him.

He could not see them. It was like they had vanished. With any luck they had given up on whatever they had been after. Patch's attention drifted over to Nora for a moment, watching as she gathered her shopping bags in her arms.

The blow came out of nowhere. He had been alone, watching Nora, and suddenly he was sprawled out on the ground. He looked up to see Nora go down in a similar fashion. Only he could see her attacker.

A tall boy with golden hair, dressed in all black appeared in his vision just as Nora hit the floor. The shopkeeper screamed in a panic and reached for the phone, clearly intending on calling the police about this sudden attack. Patch wanted to stop her, but before he could say anything she was also going down.

"That was close," the boy nodded his agreement to the unseen speaker's comment, pulling a small black device out of his pocket.

"It's unfortunate that the Mundie got involved though," the boy walked toward Patch, holding the small device out in front of him. It looked like a cellular phone, but Patch had the feeling it was anything but that. "Is she okay?"

"I just knocked her out," a girl stood up from behind the register. She was dressed the same way as her counterpart, but with fiery red hair pulled back in a high pony tail.

"What about the other one?" the boy asked, coming down on one knee in front of Patch.

Patch clenched his jaw, waiting to hear if these two had hurt Nora. Once he heard the okay, he was going to take this boy down. The boy held the device closer to Patch, it let off a high pitched beep.

"This is it."

"It's a pretty weak one then," the girl was beside Nora, checking to make sure she was okay. "I barely did anything."

"You did enough, is that Mundie okay?"

"She's fine."

Patch moved before the girl had finished speaking. One hand took hold of the boy's wrist while his feet came up under him. The black device fell from the boy's grip, still letting off the high pitched beep.

As quick as Patch was, the boy was just as fast. And as well trained, in moments the boy was armed and had broken free of Patch's grip. They stared at one another, Patch's dark eyes locking on the boy's golden ones. Surprisingly, the boy smiled at Patch.

"Not as weak as you look," the boy commented snidely, pulling another weapon from his belt.

"I could say the same about you," Patch snarled, squaring his shoulders as he looked the boy in the eye. "What are you doing here?"

"You know very well what we're doing here," the boy answered. "Scum like you don't belong on the Earth."

"I was sent here," banished actually, but that was hardly something this guy needed to know. "I've been here for hundreds of years."

"Then your time has finally run out. Govad," the second weapon the boy had pulled from his belt sprang to life, burning with white light.

Patch felt panic rising in his throat. He had seen these weapons before, but not in a long time; they were the used by Archangels. How had this boy gotten one? More importantly, how well could he use it?

If this boy was any good with that weapon, Patch could be banished to Hell again; or some other plane. In short, this could be a serious problem. And they had pulled Nora into it as well.

"Clary, get the Mundies to safety. I'll take care of this," the boy smile darkly at Patch.

"You're not taking her anywhere," Patch lunged past the boy, meaning to scoop Nora up from the ground and run. He would have to come back to face the strangers, when Nora was safe back at the apartment. Then he would beat some answers out of them.

"Clary!"

Nora was awake, it seemed she was just waiting for the perfect time to strike as well. She pulled a weapon from Clary's belt, and sprang to her feet. Clary jumped aside, cleanly dodging Nora's miserable attempt at an attack with her left hand.

Patch sighed in relief as he came to stand beside her. She was alright, really okay. He had been worried that she had been hurt by the sneak attack.

"You had me worried, Angel," Patch muttered under his breath.

"You had me worried," Nora responded, holding the sword awkwardly in her grip. She was trained for combat, but she had not fought since the army had been disbanded. This was supposed to be a time of peace. "Who are these people?"

"I don't know, but they're dangerous. You should let me handle this Angel."

"I can fight," Nora also had a stubborn streak, her eyes hardened against him.

"I'd rather you didn't."

"Clary, you take the girl," the boy handed another of the glowing blades to his companion. She held the weapon confidently in her hand.

"Cassiel," Clary's weapon burst to life, the pale light accenting her pale skin and vibrant hair.

"We're leaving," Patch scooped Nora in his arms and leapt over the pair, running out into the street.

* * *

"Draw a Portal, we need to talk to someone about this," Clary watched as Jace paced the length of the storefront. "That demon took a mundie."

"Maybe it's fine," Clary offered. Magnus had told her recently about demons socializing with Mundanes and Shadowhunters in the past. Apparently it once had been a big thing. Maybe it was still happening, or it was making a comeback. "Maybe she's a demon too," Clary shrugged.

"Then we let two demons get away, into a city full of Mundanes," Jace snapped making a tight turn beside Clary to start down the front of the store again.

He was agitated that the demon had escaped so easily. Carrying a Mundane, it had leapt over Jace and Clary, and ran out into the street. Not only that, but the demon had managed to vanish on the practically empty street. That was most likely the thing that had enraged Jace the most; that he had lost the demon they had been tracking so easily.

"I wouldn't really call this a city," Clary grumbled folding her arms as she straightened in her seat.

"What?"

"Nothing," she pushed herself out of her seat, walking to meet Jace as he started down the sidewalk again. "Why don't we go to the estate and see if there's anything in the library there."

"There won't be anything at the Herondale estate," Jace passed her on the sidewalk, his hands opening and closing at his side while he paced. She knew he wanted to be fighting something, training so he could fight something. Jace was a man of action, and the mild defeat he had just suffered was killing him.

"Then the Institute," Clary tried again, quickening her pace to keep up with Jace. "There's bound to be something in the books at the Institute."

"We need to talk to someone," Jace repeated, he was fixated on this. Jace did not like to be bested, and that was what had happened.

"Then let's talk to someone," Clary tried, Jace had wanted to talk to someone, so if she offered that he would take her up on it. "Magnus could help, and Alec would know what to do," she caught Jace's hand and pulled him to a stop. "That girl looked like she knew how to use a sword."

"Poorly," Jace commented, his free hand clenching tightly at his side.

"That means she's trained, for something Jace, and it's possible we'll need help," it might have been his idea so seek help, but she had distracted him from it. And just talking to someone might not be enough.

Jace rolled his head on his shoulders, taking a deep breath as he stopped looking up at the sky. Clary saw his muscles relax, and felt the tension fall out of her own body. His fingers found their way around hers, and slowly he brought his golden eyes down to meet her green ones.

"Who do you want to talk to? We'll go talk to them," Clary offered, holding his hand tightly. "Just tell me who you want to talk to."

"Have I ever told you how much I love you?" Jace smiled as he leaned down to kiss her.

"Only every day," Clary answered, drawing Jace's stele from the pocket of his jeans. "So who do you want to talk to?"

He smiled again, breathing in her aroma. "I think, Tessa Gray, is a good start."

"Then we'll go talk to Tessa." Clary started down an alley, "California, here we come."

* * *

"I shouldn't have taken this weapon from her," Nora looked down at the strange blade she had taken from Clary at the store. Patch recognized it as one of the glowing weapons the golden haired boy had been using. "I've never seen anything like this before."

"I have," Patch kept his distance from the weapon in his girlfriend's hand. "A long time ago."

The more he thought about the heavenly weapon, the more he could remember about seeing them before. The archangels used them, naturally. They glowed with the light of heaven, they were pure goodness.

And it would probably do horrible things to a fallen angel.

"And you shouldn't feel bad that you have the weapon, that's one less they have now," he needed to get past the fact that these people had those heavenly weapons, and determine how to disarm them.

"It's a strange weapon," Nora held the sword upright between them, the blade centered before her eyes. "How do they make them light up?"

"I don't know," Patch answered, swallowing. "But it won't matter, I won't give them the chance to do it again."

"You mean we won't," Nora looked away from the blade to Patch. "We won't give them another chance to light their swords."

"No, Angel, I mean 'I'. You're not going to fight them."

"I can fight, Patch. You taught me how," Nora snapped, her hand clenching around the hilt of the weapon she had taken from the girl, Clary.

"I taught you so you could protect yourself, not go looking for trouble."

"Trouble found me," Nora seethed, her eyes narrowing to a pointed glare at Patch. "They were following us."

"They were following me," Patch corrected, knowing that it was the truth. The device had been tracking him, not the two of them. If Nora had been anywhere else, she would have no idea that this fight was brewing. "They want to fight me, and I'm going to send them back to wherever it is they came from."

"That boy lets the girl with him fight."

"He clearly doesn't love her as much as I love you," Patch stood up, crossing the room in two long strides. Gently he took the sword from Nora and set it on the counter beside her. Just as tenderly he pulled her into his chest.

"What's the point in knowing how to fight, if you never let me help you?" her arms wrapped around his waist, holding him to her. "Why teach me all of that?"

"Contingency plan?" Patch smiled breathing in the familiar scent of Nora.

"Patch," he heard the annoyance in her voice, but he could not stop himself.

"Angel," he responded, tilting her head up to meet his eyes.

"Patch," she released him, exhaling sharply as she met his eyes. He could have looked into those eyes for eternity, and never grown tired of it. Everything about her intrigued him, and her eyes showed him her thoughts. Thoughts he could never decipher. But he could read the expressions on her face; he knew this look of annoyance well.

"Nora," he sighed, stepping back from her and brushing his hair back from his face. "Those two are trained, and I'm willing to bet it's professionally." She was still so young. She was still so naïve to the Nephil world, if this was even associated with the Fallen Angels, Nephilim and the recently halted war. He had to protect her, for both their sakes and his sanity. "I can't risk you getting hurt."

"I won't get hurt. I'm a Nephil now, Patch. I have super human strength and speed, you taught me how to fight," Nora contested, her eyes steeled as she spoke. "If you're worried about my safety, I'm worried about yours. I couldn't stand it if something happened to you."

"Nothing's going to happen to me, Angel," Patch cupped Nora's face in his hand, rubbing her cheek with his thumb.

"You can't know that," the hardened look softened as she looked up at him. "You're worried about them. What they're capable of."

"And that is exactly why you're not going," he kissed the top of her head, holding her close to him once again.


	2. Chapter 2

The apartment smelled of everything familiar; old books, oils, herbs, freshly baked cookies, and dust. But there was a hint of the unknown lacing the room; perfumes, soaps, the scent of the Pacific and L.A. air through the opened window. The walls were decorated with timeless pieces of art and contemporary works. There were bookshelves overflowing with thick leather bound books, small novels, and everything in between.

Jace eyed the shelves inquisitively. There were more books than he thought could fit in a single apartment here, and they looked well read and expertly cared for. Tessa really loved books, he thought resisting the urge to reach out for an old copy of _Wuthering Heights_ sitting on an end table.

Tessa came out of the kitchen, pulling her hair up off her neck as she did so.

Tessa was a warlock; she looked around nineteen, and had so since she was actually nineteen in the late 1870's. Tessa was also a Shadowhunter, like Clary and Jace, and her husband James Carstairs. As far as anyone knew, Tessa was the only Shadowhunter sired by a demon, since all the others were stillborn. She was also Jace's great-great-great-grandmother, which he had only just learned at the end of the Mortal War against Clary's demonic brother.

"I'm surprised to see you two again," Tessa lowered herself gracefully in an armchair, still tying her hair up. "You were just here a few weeks ago to see Emma and Julian."

"We need some advice," Clary was spinning her stele through her fingers. If she was not drawing she needed to do something with her hands. Jace knew she was trying to break that habit, but since they were in a relatively safe place she stopped thinking about it.

"I'm not sure I'll be of much help," Tessa sank back in her chair, tucking her legs under herself. "I haven't been a Shadowhunter in a long time."

"We were hoping you might have read something that could help. Or maybe, dealt with something like it before," Jace pulled his attention away from the bookshelves to look at Tessa.

"It might help if I knew what you needed help with," Tessa smiled with a gentle smile.

"We were in Maine, checking up on the members of the Conclave there, when our Sensors started going haywire."

"They malfunctioned?" Tessa's brow furrowed marginally as she looked between Clary and Jace.

"No, not exactly a malfunction," Clary's brow furrowed as she answered Tessa's question; "they were acting really weirdly though."

"That sounds like a malfunction," Tessa folded her arms over her chest. "What were they doing that was so odd?"

"I think there's a demon there. A demon that ran away rather than fight; and it took a Mundane with it," Jace answered, careful to use the full terminology referring to mortals. He did not know how Tessa would react to the current slang.

"It abducted a Mundane?" the warlock asked.

"It was with the Mundane girl, they had been together all day," Clary answered.

"Is it possible she was a demon too? Or a warlock?"

"My Sensor didn't register her as a demon," Clary drew her Sensor from her pocket. It did not register Tessa a demon either. So the girl could have been a warlock, with a glamour to hide her markings. It was not uncommon for warlocks to hide their appearance, to stay inconspicuous in light of the Cold Peace.

"The demon seemed really protective of her," Jace continued. "And she was trained to fight. They both were."

"But they still ran?" Tessa touched her finger to her chin, thinking. It made as little sense to her as it did to Jace and Clary. "Is it possible the Sensors were wrong? That these two were fellow Shadowhunters?"

"The Sensor registered the guy as demon, no one else. He panicked when he saw the Seraph blades," Jace shook his head.

"Most people panic the first time they see a blazing Seraph blade," Tessa responded coolly, though not unkindly. "I was rather terrified the first time one was lit in my presence, and I was in the safety of the London Institute."

"Then what was it?" Jace asked.

"I'm afraid I can't help you, Jace, I'm sorry." Jace frowned, leaning forward over his knees, his fingers laced together as he stared at his hands. "I think the only way to get your answers, is to find this demon and ask."

That had not been an answer they had been hoping for. They had hoped that Tessa had some reference to give them about something similar. If it had happened before, the Clave would have documented it, and Tessa would have read about it, or at least heard about it since she helped run the London Institute when she was a Herondale.

"Is it possible James knows anything?" James had spent over a hundred years as a Silent Brother, the keepers of knowledge in the Silent City. He had had access to all of the Nephilim's history, since the time of Jonathan Shadowhunter in the thirteenth century.

"Even if he does, I'm sure he would give you the same advice," Tessa reached for her cell phone, checking to see if James had called or texted her. "If it happened before, it won't be like it was last time. Times have changed, few people know that as well and Jem and myself."

"So you don't have any other advice?" Clary asked, slightly crestfallen.

"I'm afraid not Clary," Tessa tucked her phone in the pocket of her lounge pants. "But if you like, you can wait for Jem to come home. He might have something to add."

"No," Jace stood up, starting for the door. "We need to go back. I want to learn who that guy is. He wasn't Marked, and neither was the girl."

"They didn't act like demons either," Clary stood up, stilling the stele in her hands. "It was just odd."

"Jem should be back soon," Tessa offered again.

"Tell him we said 'hello' then," Jace started for the door, sliding his hand into Clary's as he did so.

"Good luck," he heard Tessa call as the door shut behind them.

"That wasn't much help," Clary commented as they descended the steps to the first floor of the apartment building.

"It might have been wishful thinking to believe Tessa had heard about something like this," Jace agreed. "But now we know something."

"What?" Clary's brow furrowed as she tried to pick what Jace had learned from the conversation with Tessa.

"This is first time something like this has ever made it to earth."

* * *

The sky was an inky black. On the eastern horizon a pale light was forming. Daybreak was closing in, and Patch had been out all night.

He had been looking for the pair that attacked him. He had thought they were tracking him, they had been tailing him until the fight at the store. Then they vanished, completely.

What was worse was that no one else was aware of the black clad, well inked teenagers armed for war. Was it possible he had imagined it? No, Nora had the heavenly weapon she had taken from the fiery red-head during their encounter.

Who were they?

"So we meet again," Patched turned to find the girl standing the middle of the sidewalk. She held nothing in her hands, but Patch knew that could change in an instant. He had seen her at the store, how quickly she had armed herself when faced with a possible threat. She had been trained well.

"We've been looking everywhere for you," the boy stepped out of an alley behind Patch. He bore a sword in his left hand, his eyes shining in the light given off by the sword. His tattoos were stark against his white-washed skin.

Patch felt renewed panic swell in his chest. He had thought little about the tattoos earlier, he had been more concerned with the fact that they might have or planned to hurt Nora. But now that he stood face to face with them, without worrying about Nora's safety, he recognized the symbols.

The pair were tattooed with words of heaven.

"Who are you? What do you want with me?" he asked, trying to keep his panic at bay. He knew they were not angels; they did not act like angels though the boy looked like one. And they would have recognized him as the only Fallen Angel left on the earth, the one who had stopped the destruction of heaven from a war-crazed Nephil.

"Your kind are not suppose to be on earth," the boy answered. He was cocky, arrogant, like Hank had been; like many of the Nephilim Patch had encountered over the centuries. "We've come to fulfill our mandate."

"Mandate? From who?" Patched took an involuntary step back from the boy, who seemed the more threatening of the two. Had the Archangels come for him?

"Our mandate is to protect the Shadow World, and the human race, from filth like you," the girl spoke with spine chilling ferocity. Patch turned to find she had also taken up one of the glowing swords, though hers had not been ignited yet.

"I haven't done anything to hurt the mortals here," Patch looked between the pair of them, wishing he had something solid behind him so they could not sneak up on him. He could see the symbol for silence stained on their arms. "I saved them; and the Nephilim residing here."

The boy scowled, his golden eyes darkening as he advanced slowly. "If you saved them, where are they? What happened to the Conclave here? Why can't we reach them?"

Patched opened his mouth to respond, but before he could make a sound the girl was rushing toward him. "Dumah," she spoke in a barely perceptible whisper, lighting the blade that was arching over her head, meant to descend upon Patch.

He dodged aside, narrowly avoiding her blade and rushing to give her room. He had been right, she was expertly trained. Just as quickly as her attack had started, she changed her direction, pivoting on her foot and taking off at a run after Patch.

Her companion needed no encouragement to join the battle. With his glowing heavenly blade he rushed past the girl, catching up to Patch a lot quicker than the Fallen Angel liked. During the rush, the boy had gained another weapon, another of the lighted blades; "Harut."

Two of the glowing blades came for Patch on the right side, from the left the girl charged foreword. Patch leapt up, trying to avoid the weaponry. He failed, just barely.

The girl caught his side, the blade tearing through his shirt and abdomen. Fire burned through him, he allowed nothing to show though. He could not take on the both of them at once, he realized a little too late.

* * *

Clary knew she had hit him. She knew she had made a solid connection with the clothes the demon wore. She was just a little confused as to why the Seraph blade had not banished the demon to another plane.

It was possible her hit was not enough. That would be the first time in several months that that happened. Jace would be so disappointed, but it would not last. She had made first contact, he would be proud of that.

"Clary," Jace shouted, tossing one of his Seraph blades to her.

She was not the best with her left hand, but she was good enough. She caught the weapon and spun around to where the demon had landed, leading with both of the blades aimed at the chest of her adversary. Beside her Jace pulled another of weapon from his belt, his favorite sword, and joined her in the assault.

All four of the blades came to a jarring halt mere inches away from the demon. Held at bay by the Seraph blade Clary had lost earlier to the mundane the demon had snatched. Behind the blade stood a girl bearing a striking resemblance to Clary, with the same determination in her eyes.

Jace growled, retracting his blades quickly and readying himself for an attack or to charge the demon again. Clary met the girl's eyes. Why was she protecting this demon?

"You're not hurting him," the girl spoke with the same determination Clary imagined she used while threatening people. "Not anymore."

"Step aside, mundie," Jace straightened, his shoulders squaring as he looked down on the girl and the demon she protected.

"Nora stop," the demon turned to look at Jace and Clary. "You can't fight them."

"Of course I can, Patch. I'm not letting you do this alone," she did not look away from Clary, she was not going to back down. "And you can't do this alone either."

"Listen, girl. You don't know what you're dealing with," Jace spoke as calmly as he had to Clary when they first met. "This is something you wouldn't understand."

"The only thing I have to understand is that you're attacking Patch. I've got that down," she turned her attention fully to Jace, her eyes narrowing in hatred. "If you want to keep going, I'm going to help him."

"We can't fight her, Jace," Clary stepped back from the girl, lowering her Seraph blades to her sides. "It's against the Law, or the Accords, if she turns out to be a Downworlder."

"She's no Downworlder," Jace hoisted his Seraph blade, pointing it at the demon. "Why does she defend you, demon?"

"Demon?" the demon and the girl spoke at the same time. "He's not a demon," the girl continued as the demon came to his feet, his hand holding his side where Clary had wounded him.

"Our Sensors say otherwise," Jace returned his sword to his weapons belt and dug his Sensor out from his pocket. As soon as he turned it on, it started beeping, indicating that there was a demon in their immediate vicinity. "I don't know what kind of lie he gave you, but I'll tell you right now; he's dangerous," Jace looked directly at the girl.

"He saved my life," the girl protested. "He's only dangerous to people who attack him."

"And I'm not a demon," the demon stood up straighter, fighting not to show how much the wound on his side hurt him. "I'm a Fallen Angel."

"Lucifer was cast from Heaven," Jace kept his calm. "He was fallen and became the King of Hell."

"I'm not like Lucifer," the demon inhaled sharply. "I saved this town from the Nephil army."

"That's why the Clave can't reach the Conclave here," Clary turned to Jace. "He's managed to dispose of them." He made no comment, gave no outward sign that he had even heard her.

"He stopped a pointless war," the girl protested heatedly.

"Protecting the world from demons is the highest priority. We're trying to save the world here," Jace returned. "Demons cause war, they thrive in it."

"Patch isn't a demon!" the girl snapped at them. "He stopped my father's army from destroying everything."

"You're a Shadowhunter?" Clary narrowed her eyes at the girl. "You're not Marked, you're unarmed…"

"You're keeping company with a demon," Jace finished, turning his full attention on her. "You've broken the Law."

"I haven't done anything!"

"She isn't part of this," the demon interrupted, taking the Seraph blade away from the girl and tossing it on the ground. "I'm the one you're after."

"I'm afraid we can't just let her go. She has to answer to the Clave about what happened here," Jace pointed his Seraph blade at her chest. "Sed lex dura lex."

"The Law is hard but it is the Law," the demon translated, and once again took the girl in his arms and ran off; vanishing before either Jace or Clary could do anything.

* * *

The touch of cool metal was reassuring in her hands. It was strange how in just a few short months the weight of a weapon in hand had become a comfort. It was strange, but she welcomed it. If she was weaponless, she would be dead…several months ago.

Her hand wrapped around the hilt of the sword, looking down over the sandy beach. A lot had happened in those few short months. Patch had done some reconnaissance, learning about the pair who had attacked them and the organization they worked for. In that time, they had seen several more pairs of the Shadowhunters roaming the streets of Coldwater.

Nora and Patch were in hiding for the time being. Until they could convince these people that Patch was not a threat, or they gave up the hunt. Nora believed that day was a long way off, not only were the Shadowhunters looking for her and Patch, but they were working with other Nephilim trying to set up a Conclave, and local branch of their cult.

"Nora," she turned to see Vee walking across the cliffs toward her. "I've been looking for you."

"Hey Vee," Nora greeted, her grip loosening marginally. "Long time no see."

"I have news, those Shadowhunters finally cleared out."

"For good?"

"I think so, no one's seen any for almost a week now."

That hardly meant they were gone. Sometimes they were invisible, and they could move without making any noise. But Nora smiled anyway, for Vee's sake.

"Maybe," she agreed. "I just have a bad feeling about all of this."


	3. Chapter 3

"Okay, I get that. But, come on, Clary. You really think that will work?"

Clary sighed, setting the phone down as she pulled on her gear. She could still hear Isabelle talking through the phone sitting on the bedside table. She had called Isabelle hoping that the other girl would give her reassurance about the new plan, not tear it apart. But maybe she had been hoping for the plan to be destroyed, so she would not have to go to Maine again.

"I don't know Iz, that's why I called you," Clary picked up the phone as she picked up her boots and fell back on her bed.

"Did you ask Jace about it?" Isabelle asked as Clary loosened the laces on the boots so she could put them on.

"He's not here," she answered, pinning the phone between her should and cheek as she laced up her combat boots. Isabelle thought she was still in Idris, at the Herondale estate, not at home.

"Where did he go?" Isabelle also thought Jace was in Idris, at the Herondale estate.

Where did Jace go? That was a good question, with an even better answer. He was still in that backwards little town trying to find the demon that was still eluding him. He had been there for the whole three months since their first encounter.

"He's still after that demon in Maine," Clary answered with a sigh, laying back across her bed and staring at the ceiling. "I thought you knew that."

"I thought you took care of that," Clary could hear the skepticism in Isabelle's voice.

It was rare that it took so long for Jace to take care of something. And once the Conclave in the area had been drawn out of hiding and the Clave learned what had happened, Jace had been backed with several of the best Shadowhunters in their pursuit of the demon and his controlled mundie. It should have been taken care of already.

So far, they had found nothing. That was putting Jace in a foul mood. It was putting Clary in a mood too; which was why she had called Isabelle.

"The Conclave is back, things are starting to look normal again. But we never caught the demon, or the head of those radicals spreading that story about the demon." Clary had been out there with Jace a lot. Trying to figure out what had really happened in that town, and why the demon had chosen it as his base. They had more questions and few answers.

"Sounds taken care of to me," Clary smiled standing up and sliding on a jacket she had borrowed from Jace. "And if you can't find the demon, how do you plan on finding his little mundie friend?" That was why she had called Isabelle after all, to hear how horrible her idea actually was as it was poked full of holes.

"I was thinking of doing things like a mundie," Clary answered pocketing her stele as she crossed the room for the door. "The girl's a mundie."

"Wouldn't she be excepting something like this then?"

"It's better than what Jace has been doing," Clary answered, closing the door to her room at her parent's house, descending the steps two at a time. Her step-father was in the living room reading, she waved to him as she passed through the room for the kitchen and back door. "Besides it might confuse them."

"Sounds reckless," Clary smiled at Isabelle's mocked concern.

"I learned from the best," she head hear the amusement in her voice and heard Isabelle stifle a laugh.

"Just be careful," she heard the laughter in Isabelle's voice, and imagined the way she shook her head as she gave the advice.

"I will Iz," Clary walked around the edge of the house, watching as cars rushed down the street. "I'll call you when I'm done."

She snapped the phone shut and turned to face the side of the house. How many times had she drawn a Portal on this very wall? How many places had she traveled to, starting here at Luke's house? She smiled as she drew yet another Portal.

It was time to stop thinking like a warrior. Clary had the feeling that if she could find the girl, she could wrap the whole Coldwater thing up. Since men were basically just looking for a fight, Jace had been waging war. Maybe Clary could just talk.

It was worth a shot.

* * *

Nora was tired of hiding. She had grown up in Coldwater, she had wandered the streets since before she could remember. And no cult was going to completely drive her underground, not in her home.

So Patch wanted her to stay out of sight. That was a discussion she was tired of having as well. If Patch was going to parade around, trying to find these people, Nora was going to attempt and maintain her normal life.

Nora wanted to go to the beach. She wanted to sit in a restaurant, any restaurant, and not have to prepare her meal herself. She wanted to be around people, not nephils reporting in about these Shadowhunters and their movements. Since Patch would go postal if she was out too long, Nora would just have to content herself with an afternoon out with Vee.

"So, should we like, eat someplace? Or hit the pier for a few hours?" Vee asked as she pulled her car into a parking spot. "We could just wander the streets, I guess. Window shop, since we're still poor," Vee shrugged shutting off her car.

"I don't care what we do," Nora smiled as she climbed out onto the street. "I'm just glad to be around people again."

"I hate to break it to you, but last time I checked the nephilim counted as people Nora."

"You know what I mean," Nora laughed as they started down the street, shouldering her bag as Vee fell in step beside her. "Normal people, who don't know about the war, what Patch is, what we are," she motioned between herself and Vee.

"We are best friends, who are hanging around Coldwater, Maine when we literally have eternity to see the world," Vee answered Nora's unasked question snidely. "None of these problems would be problems if you left Coldwater after you took over Hank's army and then sent them packing."

"I like it here!" Nora defended herself loudly.

"So do I, but come on Nora, hanging around here, not the best move," Vee waved her arms around enthusiastically.

"And where would you have gone?" Nora arched her brow skeptically at Vee.

"I'm thinking England," Vee answered wistfully. "I've always wanted to see England, and Scotland, maybe Spain." Vee shrugged philosophically, as they turned into a shop.

"You have forever to do that, we'll only be this age once Vee. Don't you want to be teenagers here, where we grew up?"

Vee frowned, giving feigned thought to the question Nora had presented. "No, I'd rather be in Europe, actually," Vee finally answered, "meeting hot European boys who speak a romantic language with incredibly sexy accents."

"You're hopeless," Nora grinned at Vee wrapping her arm through her best friend's. "Come on, let's do some serious window shopping before I go back into hiding."

Nora and Vee spent the afternoon wandering around Coldwater, though Vee spent most of her energy telling Nora all the reasons she and Patch could and should move to anywhere else in the world. Nora half listened to her.

Nora was content in Coldwater, it would be better if the Shadowhunters left. And Vee's claims that leaving Coldwater would end the Shadowhunter issue seemed hollow to Nora. It seemed to Nora that there were multiple sects of this cult; at least that was the impression she got from her brief meeting with the pair who first showed up and attacked Patch. The two had been looking for others, for more Shadowhunters who were supposed to be living in Coldwater.

She felt there would be others anywhere they went. No matter where they went, there would be other Shadowhunters, others trying to kill Patch or banish him back to Hell.

Vee was not seeing that though. Vee was not one to look at the big picture, she focused on one thing at a time. Vee's current problem was not that there were Shadowhunters everywhere, just in Coldwater. If Nora went anywhere, she and Patch would still be facing the same problem.

"I'm spent," Vee sighed as the sun began to sink toward the horizon. "We should grab some food and then head back."

"Yea," Nora agreed watching the crowded street around them. She was always wary of crowded streets. It was something she wished was not so ingrained in her mind. Something she wished was not an issue, worrying about who might be in the crowd on Main Street.

"Can you pay attention?"

"I am," Nora turned back to Vee, realizing belatedly that she had suggested a place to eat. "It sounds great," she lied with a smile, hoping the restaurant in question was one Nora liked.

"Did you see something?" Vee asked, looking over her shoulder where Nora had been looking when she zoned out.

"No," Nora answered without realizing that she had given herself away. She had not seen anything, she hardly ever saw them. But Nora knew the Shadowhunters were still there, they had been there for three months, despite Vee's assurances that they had all cleared out.

"Shame," Nora and Vee jumped hearing someone standing between them. "I saw plenty of people out there."

It was the girl, the one who had been there the night Patch was attacked, the one who had wounded Patch. She stood between Nora and Vee, smiling almost pleasantly as she looked between the two of them, her red hair vibrant against her black faux leather jacket and dark shirt.

"I know you were talking about food. I'm a little hungry myself, so I'll buy. And we can talk," she offered, her green eyes catching Nora's and holding them carefully. "I'm Clary, by the way. Clary Fray," she held her hand out.

"Nora, Nora Grey," for some reason Nora took Clary's hand and shook it. "This is my friend Vee Sky."

"It's nice to meet you, both of you," Clary smiled shaking Vee's hand as well; "So, how about that food? I haven't eaten in about six hours."

Nora felt like lying to this girl, saying that she and Vee had no intentions of eating. But she knew that would never work, it was clear that Clary had been following them all afternoon. She had specifically mentioned eating, and she had offered to pay for the meal.

Nora opened her mouth to decline, but that was when her stomach decided to give her away. Nora's mouth snapped shut quickly as she looked away from Clary. Clary smiled.

"Any place you want, as much as you want, my treat," Clary offered again, stepping back and motioning toward a café just down the street.

"What's the catch?" Vee narrowed her eyes suspiciously at Clary, finally seeing the encounter as odd.

"No catch, I just want to talk," Clary answered innocently.

"About what?"

Clary shrugged, "anything really. It's been a long time since I talked to anybody about anything besides fighting."

"What? None of your Shadowhunter pals like to gossip?" Vee snipped looking down her nose at Clary as she folded her arms across her chest.

"Oh, they gossip plenty," Clary responded, unfazed by Vee's behavior. "But they gossip about war, and fighting, and training, and how to kill demons, and Downworlder politics, and the weather." Clary shrugged again, turning on her heel and starting down the street, "it's pretty boring actually. I just wanted to hang out with you. But if you'd rather not, I guess I can't make you."

"Good," Vee watched Clary walked down the street, stll heading for the café. "We didn't want her charity food anyway."

Nora opened her mouth to agree, but that was when her stomach decided to rumble again. She looked after Clary, the only friendly Shadowhunter she had encountered, despite the fact that she had been one of the first to arrive and attacked Patch.

"Hey, Clary, wait up," Nora started after the girl, pulling Vee along behind her.

She would probably regret this decision. She knew most she would regret it. But food was too tempting an offer.

Besides that, it was possible she could learn something by talking to Clary. If she asked the right questions, Nora could learn all about the Shadowhunters and why they were after Patch. And, if nothing else, she would at least get to eat her fill for the first time in months.

* * *

Jace stretched out of the seat where he had been watching the street. He was not accustomed to sitting still for so long, he needed action. He needed to find the demon so he could move on.

Three months was too long a stretch to be working on the same case. Three months was far too much time between sightings for the demon. Jace would have assumed the demon left, except the local mundane still talked about seeing him. It seemed he was as elusive as Sebastian had been. That was bothering Jace.

Two too many people were capable of evading him. Jace was better than that, he had found Sebastian, he could find this guy too; with or without help from the Clave and local Conclave. At least, that had been his belief two months before.

Now he was running out of ideas on how to find the demon. Clary had basically given up as well, which was unlike her. Jace sighed, rolling his shoulders as he walked down the street, toward one of the small locally owned diners. It was like eating at Taki's, except for the lack of Downworlder foods and patrons. There was a surprising lack of Downworlders in Coldwater, it was as unsettling as the missing demon.

"Maybe I should call Magnus, see if he has any ideas," Jace mused to himself, striking through his invisibility rune so he could be seen by the mundanes. "If anything, Alec could come help me," he continued talking to himself, watching the street for the local nephilim or the demon.

Maybe that was what he really needed, some time with Alec, his _parabatai._ The last mission they had been on together had been close to six months ago, before one of Magnus' whirlwind vacations around the world. Since then Jace had been busy, cleaning at the Herondale estate, training with Clary, teaching at the Academy, helping at the L.A. Institute…

He really just needed time with Alec. Alec would know what to do. Alec always knew what to do. And the two of them understood one another; it would make finding this demon as simple as weapons training.

That was what it was. Too much time away from Alec, Jace decided, reaching in his pocket for his phone. A simple text could solve that too. One word is all it would take to get Alec at his side.

Jace opened his phone, pulled up his last text from Alec and started to type a reply. But he stopped there, without typing a single letter. He was almost eighteen, practically an adult. He was being backed by the entire Clave to find this demon, who had claimed to have saved countless Shadowhunters' lives, the same Shadowhunters who had mysteriously vanished from the area.

Jace Herondale did not need to call on Alec every single time he hit a snag in the road. Jace Herondale could handle one demon without calling on his _parabatai._ Jace Herondale was too awesome to need someone else to solve this mystery.

Jace snapped his phone shut and returned it to his pocket, looking up as he started through the outdoor dining area of his chosen restaurant. He could do this, he was Jonathan Herondale. He did not need Alec, and he did not need Clary to help me either.

Jace ran his fingers through his hair, pushing it back from his face as he entered the restaurant. He cast a quick look around the dining area, seeking out a good place to sit so he could see the door and listen in on the local's conversations. He had just picked out a good seat when he saw Clary.

She was seated at a small table with two locals. One of them had been the girl conspiring with the demon, someone Jace had been unable to locate in the three months he had been roaming the streets of Coldwater. Clary seemed to be enjoying herself, with the girl and another local, which was surprising for Jace. He had been unable to find her, and Clary was eating with her.

Apparently she was doing something right.


	4. Chapter 4

Clary's ringtone was painfully loud in the semi-quiet of the restaurant. She jumped marginally, digging in her pockets trying to remember which pocket she had even put her phone in. Why was someone calling her?

"Hello?" she had not bothered to look at the caller ID, she had a pretty good guess at who was on the other end.

"So, I have this theory," it was Jace, starting out the conversation in a very Simon like way.

"Yea?" she cast an apologetic look at Nora and Vee. "What theory is that?" she asked turning away from them.

"That sitting in a café all day will improve my demon slaying skills," Jace answered instantly, which was almost as ridiculous as some of Simon's theories.

"Oh?" She brushed her hair back, tucking it behind her ear.

"Yes," he answered instantly again; "In particular when this leisured sitting session includes gossiping with over coffee."

"Are you asking me on a date?" Clary's brow furrowed. "Because honestly, this is one of the worst invites you've come up with."

"If I wanted a date, I'd ask you," Clary could hear the agitation in his voice. "I'm just trying to figure out how lunch dates to gossip at a coffee shop counts as training at the New York Institute."

"Yea, that sounds great," Clary snapped her phone shut before Jace could make another comment and shoved it back in her pocket. Her eyes scanned the sparsely populated shop, looking for Jace's halo of golden hair. She had not been expecting him to come in that little shop to eat.

That had been stupid, Jace had to eat at some point. This shop was as good as any. But why did he have to come in the same little café thing that Vee and Nora wanted to eat at? Why did he have to come in while she was still there?

"Who was that?" Vee asked, looking at the jacket pocket where Clary had dropped her phone.

"Just my boyfriend," Clary caught sight of Jace with the corner of her eye as she turned back to Vee and Nora. "He had this crazy idea about a good place for a date," she brushed her hair back, tucking a stray lock behind her ear again.

"What was it?" Nora asked, her eyes scanning the room the same way Clary's had. What could Nora see in the crowd? Would she recognize Jace sitting near the door? Would she suspect something from the phone call?

If Clary had been in her position she would be suspicious of the phone call. She had been in a position like this before, when she had first met Jace. Her entire world had been altered from that encounter, and it seemed her encounters with Nora were having the same affect.

This single afternoon had given her more information than she had thought she would get, though none of it was helping her find the demon.

"Something about the cannels in Venice, and starlight diners," she answered, her mind flashing to their last date in Venice, when Jace had been controlled by Sebastian. "It'll probably be really cheesy and over the top," she held her hands up in front of her chest, shaking erh head as if embarrassed by the idea.

"Starlight diner in Venice," Vee sighed, propping her head up on her hands. "That sounds so romantic."

"Yeah," Nora sighed. "I wish Patch would take me somewhere that romantic."

"Patch?" Clary perked up slightly at the name. Nora had not mentioned her boyfriend before during this talk. Could that be the demon's name? Was this finally something useful?

"He would, you just don't want to leave Coldwater," Vee responded a little sharply. "I bet Patch would do all that romantic stuff from the books if you would let him take you somewhere romantic."

"Vee, I don't want to talk about this again," Nora started with a sigh.

"We haven't really talked about it," Vee retorted, cutting off anything else Nora might have said. "And if you have any say in it, we never will."

Clary looked between the two of them, picturing the way she acted with Simon about similar topics, or Jace with Alec and Isabelle. They were best friends, the very best of friends. And they were Nephilim just like her, and Simon, Jace, Alec, and Isabelle. "So who is Patch, exactly?" Clary tried again.

All she needed was just a little information. Just a few details about Patch that could help her find his hiding place. Otherwise this whole afternoon would be wasted.

"He's a Fallen Angel," Vee answered, shooing Nora's hand away when the girl smacked at her shoulder. "He was banished to Hell but came back to save Nora from Hank's army. He's the last Fallen Angel on Earth, since the others were banished after their feathers were burned."

"That makes him a demon," Clary responded. "The angels cast from Heaven are demons."

"I don't think so," Vee responded, shaking her head. "He's not in Hell, he's here in Coldwater."

"Vee," Nora narrowed her eyes dangerously.

"Nora, come on! They've been looking for him for three months," Vee narrowed her eyes in return. "And they still haven't found him."

"Not for lack of trying," Clary muttered as Nora and Vee continued their glared argument. "So, he's still here?" she asked a little louder.

"He wouldn't have just left Nora behind," Vee laughed, lighting hitting Clary on the arm in a familiar friendly way. "You're super romantic boyfriend doesn't leave you behind, does he?"

Vee had no idea.

Clary's phone started ringing again. She managed not to jump, and at least knew which pocket it was in this time. She pulled it out and made another apologetic gesture to Nora and Vee as she answered the call.

"Did you learn anything?" Clary looked across the café to where Jace was sitting, watching her as he stirred his water with the straw.

"Not the time," she hissed in the phone.

"So you did? They told you something?" She could hear the excitement in his voice. After three months, she should have been more excited about the almost lead she had. And she probably would have been, if Jace had not interrupted her twice during the same conversation.

"Don't you have anything better to do?" she hissed into the receiver.

"I have a demon to slay, I assumed you were helping," Jace answered. "You are helping aren't you?"

"Later," she snapped the phone shut again. "Sorry," she turned back to Nora and Vee.

"Boyfriend again?" Vee asked.

"No, it was my brother," she shook her head as she returned the phone to the pocket of Jace's jacket. "It's nothing, he just wanted to tell me a stupid joke," she lied instantly.

The phone rang again. "You sure are popular," Vee commented as Clary pulled the phone out once more.

"What?" she answered, sharply. If it was Jace again, she might just throw her phone at him. This was ridiculous, three phone calls in less than fifteen minutes. It was like he was trying to ruin her plan.

"Where are you at?" She winced hearing her mother's sharp tone on the line. Maybe she should have checked to see who was calling before she snapped as a greeting on a phone call.

"I'm in Maine," she answered, trying to convey her sorrow about her short attitude. Her mother knew all about the demon campaign in Coldwater, she had listen to Clary complain about it enough. Just saying she was in Maine would be enough to tell her that she was working.

"Is Jace there? Maryse was asking about him? Thought you would know?"

That was a lie. Maryse either knew what Jace was doing, or she would call him and find out. And if Jace ignored her call, Maryse would have just called Clary. Jocelyn was just checking to see if Clary and Jace were together, she still did not fully trust Jace.

"I thought he was at the Herondale estate," Clary feigned confusion at the question. She could not let Nora know that Jace was nearby, looking for her Fallen Angel/demon boyfriend. "That's where he was yesterday," she lied to her mother, so that she could continue lying to Nora and Vee. Her mother would kill her for that."

"When will you be home?"

"Tonight," she answered.

"I'll see you then."

Clary snapped her phone shut, and ran her fingers through her hair. "Why do mothers never trust their teenage daughters and their boyfriends?"

"My mother never trusted Patch," Nora responded.

"She was kinda right not to," Vee added. "And for the record I didn't until I knew the truth about the guy."

"You're not helping," Nora half laughed at Vee's comment. "But she's just trying to protect you. That's what mom's are for."

"Right," she sighed, straightening in her seat. "I'm sorry about all the phone calls. I don't normally get that many in three seconds."

"It's fine," Nora smiled, standing up and throwing her bag over her shoulder, clearing meaning the diner date was over. "Thanks so much for diner."

"Not a problem," Clary answered, pulling her clutch wallet from an inside pocket of Jace's jacket. "I enjoyed talking to you."

"Us too," Vee came around the table and wrapped Clary in a hug. "It's so nice to meet a normal person who gets this stuff."

"Yea," Clary awkwardly hugged Vee back, while trying to separate herself from the tall girl. "Same here."

Clary let Vee and Nora leave while she paid the check. She smiled and waved at them as they started down the street, and turned her attention on something else instantly. Within moments she could see Jace coming to stand behind her.

"I'll pay for hers," he smiled, offering his own check to the girl at the register.

"I can pay for it, Jace."

"I know," he answered. "But I want too. You can pay next time we go out."

"That's so romantic," Clary scoffed, putting her wallet away. "It's such a tempting offer, paying for Jace Herondale to eat."

"Many others have begged for the opportunity," Jace smiled as they walked out of the restaurant. "So what did you learn?"

"The demon is defiantly still here," Clary answered. "And he won't go anywhere without Nora."

"Which one was Nora?"

"The short one," Clary answered dropping her hands in the pockets of the jacket she wore.

"Compared to who?"

"Very funny," Clary elbowed Jace in the ribs. "Compared to her friend, who is a giant," Clary continued.

"So all we have to do is corner Nora, and we'll have our demon?" Jace's eyes lit up at the prospect of finally catching the demon and having the Coldwater issue settled.

"Or follow her to where they're hiding," Nora pointed down the street, picking Nora and Vee out of the crowd as they climbed into a car.

* * *

"I can't believe you told her that Patch was still here," Nora slammed the passenger door shut, throwing her bag down on the floorboard between her feet. "That's what she was after, so she could kill him."

"I don't think so," Vee shrugged, starting the vehicle. "She doesn't seem like a coldblooded killer to me."

"She thinks Patch is a demon," Nora glared at Vee. "Killing a demon is not a coldblooded act Vee! It's in her job description!"

"I think you're over reacting, just a tad," Vee's face twisted comically as she held her hand up, measuring out just how much Nora was overreacting to the situation. "Clary wouldn't kill Patch, he's not a demon."

Nora let out an exasperated sigh and flopped back in her seat. Why could she not get Vee to understand? And why did Vee have to say that Patch would never ever leave Nora behind? That was exactly the kind of information Clary would have been waiting for.

Nora knew that was the actual reason for that diner. Clary wanted information, and she paid for it, probably a bit more than she bargained for with Vee's ramblings, but still. Nora had been carefully guarding anything that could be important, and then Vee had to go and say something like that!

"According to whatever rule book that Shadowhunters use, he is." Nora covered her eyes with her hand, "That's the reason they're still here, Vee. Because Patch is a demon in their eyes."

"But Clary was so nice," Vee whined slightly. "I don't want her to be a coldblooded killer. It'll ruin our friendship."

Friendship? That one afternoon was not enough to make them friends. It was a good start, Nora could admit that, but Vee was stretching it a bit.

"Besides, I did something good today," Vee sounded pretty proud of herself.

"What?" Nora could not bring herself to look at Vee.

"I took Clary's phone."

"You what?" Nora sat up, turning to look at Vee, who held Clary's phone up for inspection. "Why would you take her phone?" And she had been the one talking about ruining friendships…

"To read her texts," Vee answered like it was obvious. "See who's been calling her, stuff like that."

"We don't know who any of these people are Vee, that information won't do us any good."

"Knowing she lied to us isn't worth knowing?" Vee asked cryptically. "Because she did."

"About what?" Nora narrowed her eyes in suspicion. There were probably a lot of things Clary had lied to them about, but which one had Vee picked up on and seemed upset about?

"Her call log says she received two calls from the same guy while we were eating. From Jace?"

"Vee stop the car!" Vee slammed on her brakes instantly.

"What is it?" she asked looking around for the cause of Nora's panic. "What's wrong?"

If Jace called twice, and Clary lied about it, it could be because he was in Coldwater. If he was in Coldwater, he could have been watching them all day, or while they ate with Clary. He could be there now, in the car with them on his way to their hideout on the cliffs.

"Take me to the farmhouse," she whispered. "I don't think we're alone."


End file.
